Which type of narrative poetry is written primarily in unrhymed iambic pentameter?

The correct answer, which identifies the type of narrative poetry primarily written in unrhymed iambic pentameter, is blank verse. Blank verse is characterized by its use of iambic pentameter, a metrical pattern consisting of five iambs per line (an iamb being an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable), and notably does not incorporate end rhymes. This form is significant in English literature, allowing for a natural flow of speech while maintaining a rhythmic structure.

In contrast, lyric poems typically express personal emotions or thoughts and often employ a variety of metrical forms, not limited to iambic pentameter or being unrhymed. Ballads are narrative poems that tell a story, usually in a simpler meter and often with a rhyme scheme, making them distinct from blank verse in both structure and purpose. Epic poems, while also narratives and often employing regular patterns and grand themes, do not fit the definition of being specifically in unrhymed iambic pentameter, as they may use a variety of other metrical forms and rhyme schemes.